Goodwill triumphs in horror crash aftermath

Toowoomba residents (from left) Susan Zhao, David King and Alex Liu were among those recognised at a police awards ceremony yesterday for helping the grief-stricken parents of a young couple who were killed in a Ruthven St crash on Australia Day.Bev Lacey

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Goodwill triumphs in horror crash aftermath

Stuart Cumming
Reporter
Stuart studied journalism at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba. He worked briefly at Central Queensland News and Warwick Daily News. He has worked as a reporter at The Chronicle since July 2009.

A GROUP of Toowoomba residents' language skills and cultural sensitivity have been officially recognised by police who investigated a horror Ruthven St crash.

Newlyweds Calvin Zhou, 26, and Grace Cai, 27, were killed on Australia Day after a car collided with the rear of their vehicle at the intersection of Alderley St.

Their grief-stricken parents travelled from China to Toowoomba in the days after the tragedy.

Communication between police and the non-English speaking relatives would have been non-existent had it not been for the translating efforts of David King, Susan Zhao and Alex Liu.

The trio, along with the Pure Land Learning Centre and the University of Southern Queensland, were yesterday awarded Queensland Police Service Certificates of Appreciation for helping the grieving parents though the awful time.

Mr King had known and lived with Mr Zhou and Ms Cai for about three years in the lead up to the crash.